Game Review: ‘Echo Isle’ Is A Short, Disappointing Adventure
Several months ago, as I was browsing the upcoming indie game releases on Steam, I discovered the demo for Echo Isle. Just from looking at the screenshots and reading the page’s listing, I had all of these memories from my childhood flooding back into my mind as it reminded me of games of my past. I thought to myself, “I need to play this right now, and I know I’m going to love it!”
While I did enjoy my time with the demo, something felt off. It wasn’t the fact that this demo had an incredibly small map or that it took me ten minutes to complete it. No, it was the fact that the developer, Josh Koenig, initially kept the scope very limited. This is not necessarily a problem for most games, but it became clear that this game was not going to be a lengthy one.
Developed and published by Josh Koenig Games, Echo Isle is an homage to the delightful The Legend of Zelda games for Nintendo’s Game Boy Color handheld system. Every aspect of this particular game can be traced back to those great Nintendo classics. You’ll find a familiar tone and playstyle much like those games of yesteryear, while retaining a bit of its own identity.
In Echo Isle, the adventure is very much a short one, and it can be completed anywhere between 60 and 75 minutes. That may be perfectly fine for some people, especially given the cost of this title currently is only $5 USD, but there are still missed opportunities that could have been avoided.
The tiny world of Echo Isle
This is a difficult game to recommend, but I appreciate what Josh Koenig has been able to do. On one hand, it is admirable that this solo developer was able to create a bite-sized tribute to some of my favorite retro games that came before it. On the other hand, I was left rather disappointed by what little it has to offer.
There are so many things that it does right with the setup, layout, and dungeon design. The problem that lies within is that the game lacks any sort of breathing room for those same things. Of course, there are a few things that are to be appreciated. Echo Isle is truly faithful to the games that predated it, down to the way the game is presented and how it plays.
What I found compelling about the journey I experienced were the creative designs for the variety of enemies you face. Even if the designs for enemies are derivative from what The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages games have already done in the past. In addition, I was impressed by the artistic choice for bosses and the tilesets for each of the four main dungeons. The music perfectly encapsulates that 8-bit sound that fans of this genre know and love.
Sadly, that is where my praise for this game ends. While I could go on about every single thing I consider a flaw in Echo Isle, there will be two key points I will be focusing on: dungeon length and the special items you’ll unlock in each of the four main dungeons.
Flaws and missed potential in this Legend of Zelda inspired game
As I dove into each of the four dungeons to locate the elusive Echo Stones (all four are needed to unlock the final dungeon), I was initially amazed. There isn’t anything particularly wrong with the design of these dungeons. The layouts of the first dungeon start out pretty linear, and as you progress through the game, the puzzles of each dungeon get more complex. Not only do the dungeons increase in complexity, they also grow in size, and scope and become non-linear to a point.
What saddens me about these dungeons is that when the going gets good, things end abruptly. You’re at the boss, and before you know it, you’re already on your way to the next dungeon. I don’t particularly like this approach because it lacks depth and leaves the player wanting more.
Going back to the lead-up to fighting each of the four main bosses, each dungeon contains a special item. These items include a leaf for jumping, a fin for swimming, a bomb, and a bow and arrow. These items are great as they enable the player to bypass obstacles and progress further both inside and outside the dungeons. The problem is that even though these weapons and gear are indeed required to progress forward in the game, they are not required in any shape or form when facing the bosses.
For example, in The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX, a dungeon item is usually tied to a boss you’d be facing to really show what sort of purpose they’d have, and to emphasize how important they are. If you have a bomb, the boss should have a protective shield or weakness to that explosive, but in Echo Isle there is nothing of the sort. Same goes with the other items. To say this is disappointing would be an understatement. I honestly wish there was more utilization of what the game gives you instead of what seemingly felt like an afterthought.
Final thoughts on Echo Isle
There are so many neat things in this game that made me genuinely excited. Specifically in upgrading your health and your sword. The mechanics for doing both of these require searching every corner of the map, leaving me with a sense of pride when I achieved both increasing my attack power and maxing out my total health. I appreciate the effort that Josh Koenig was able to do, especially because, from what research I did, this appears to be his first published game. I just wish I enjoyed the overall experience better.
While I can’t personally recommend this game due to design and gameplay shortcomings that are all over Echo Isle, it was a nice way to kill an hour. I suppose $5 is a fair price for a game this short, and I do not want to in any way imply that players should feel entitled, even if the game is brief. I wasn’t bored with this game, but I’m not going to lie: there are so many missed chances here.
I understand that not every game needs to be a 40+ hour epic, but sometimes a game needs a bit more substance for me to enjoy, and this is a game that definitely could have used a little more time to cook. With all that being said, I am going to keep my eyes out to see what Koenig does next. There is a lot of potential here, and I just know that the foundation that was laid down with Echo Isle can only be improved on.
Echo Isle can be purchased on Steam for both PC and Linux.
